Urinary incontinence is a condition associated with an involuntary leakage of urine. Urinary incontinence affects over 10% of the human population either temporarily or permanently. Urinary incontinence is often a symptom of or results from an underlying medical condition. Both males and females can suffer from urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence can be a distressing and embarrassing condition, often having a profound impact on an affected individual's quality of life. Further, urinary incontinence may also affect an individual's self-esteem and disrupt the individual's ability to participate in recreational activities.
Urinary incontinence is often associated with the need for individuals to wear diapers or absorbent pads in order to prevent the individual's clothes from becoming urine-soaked and from smelling of urine. However, there are many drawbacks to such diapers or pads, including the following: (a) the diapers and pads can be bulky, cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear; (b) the diapers and pads can develop unpleasant odors after a short period of time, causing distress and embarrassment to the individual; (c) the diapers and pads may be visible to others, causing the individual to be self-conscious and embarrassed; (d) the diapers and pads can be a significant financial cost to the individual over time; and (e) there may be environmental impacts associated with use and disposal of such diapers and pads. Instead of diapers, rubber pants have been used by individuals suffering from urinary incontinence, but such pants seldom keep clothing from getting wet or smelling of urine.
Alternatives to diapers, absorbent pads and rubber pants include catheters and drainage containers; however, these can be uncomfortable and cumbersome for the individual and cause distress and embarrassment as such devices are visible to others. Further, catheters can be particularly problematic. The drain tubes of catheters extend from the bladder to outside an individual wearer's body via the inside of the urethra and exit through the urethral meatus to the outside of the individual's body. This route of the drain tube can cause significant chaffing and inflammation in an individual's surrounding flesh at the urethral meatus whenever the individual attempts much movement. Thus, catheters and drainage containers can be prohibitive to an individual's quality of life and can be limiting to both an individual's activities and general mobility.
Alternative solutions have included devices to be worn externally by individuals suffering from urinary incontinence, such as a clamp type closure at the exit of the urethral meatus or a wide elastic type strangler. These devices, however, are uncomfortable and can be limiting on an individual's activities.
Some examples of devices designed to block the urethra are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,755, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,299, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,424, and European Patent Application No. 8,630,1429.6.
There is a need for a urinary incontinence device that can be easily purchased and that is uncomplicated and user-friendly. Such a urinary incontinence device should allow a user to have a normal quality of life and not be hindered by urinary leakage.